Slide switch contact structure



Oct. 25, 1966 c. A. AQUILLON SLIDE SWITCH CONTACT STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 20, 1965 United States Patent O 3,281,546 SLIDE SWITCH CONTACT STRUCTURE Charles Albert Aquillon, Waban, Mass., assignor to Ark- Les Switch Corporation, Watertown, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed oct. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 498,523 4 Claims. (Cl. 200-16) The present invention relates to an improved slide switch of which the switch element comprises a dat plate mounted for sliding movement over a plurality of switch contacts disposed in parallel rows.

The lswitch which forms the subject matter of the invention consists generally of a sliding switch block which provides support for a switch plate yieldably engaged against a group in two series for engagement with contact areas adjacent the two side edges of said contact plate.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved sliding switch of this general description which is of a simple and rugged construction, `and which may be counted on to provide a solid, dependable electrical connection of the switch plate with any one or combination of the engaged switch contacts.

With the above and other objects in view as may hereinafter appear, the several features of lthe invention will be readily -appreciated by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a View in elevation of a slide switch illustrating in a preferred form the several features of the inven-tion;

FIG. 2 is an end View of the switch shown in FIG. 1 looking from the right;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the switch illustrating particularly the slide block, slide plate, the switch contacts engaged thereby, `and the interposed biasing spring;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on a line 4 4 of FIG. 2, but on an enlarged scale; and

FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are a series of somewhat fragmentary plan views illustrating four step positions of the switch plate engaged with different combinations of said switch contacts.

The slide switch illustrated in the drawing as embodying in a preferred form the several features of the invention comprises an elongated rectangular housing 10 of which the bottom panel 12 is formed of an electrical non-conducting material such as rubber in which are mounted four switch contact terminals 14, 16, 18 and 20. Within the housing 10, there is provided a sliding switch contact mechanism consisting of a rectangularly shaped slide block 22 having in the top surface thereof a manual controller receiving recess 24 and in the two end faces thereof vertically extending guide slots 26 and 28. A rectangularly shaped switch contact plate 30 is located 'beneath the slide `block 22 and is connected to the block for sliding movement therewith by the engagement of two upwardly bent tabs 32 and 34 in the respective guide slots 26 and 28. A coiled spring 36 interposed between the under side of the guide block 22 and the switch -contact plate 30 acts against a midportion of the contact plate to rbias the contact plate downwardly against the switch contact terminals 14, 16, 18 and 20, and at the same time to bias the slide block 22 upwardly against the inner face of the top panel 38 of the housing 10. It will be noted that the upper face of the slide block 22 is formed at each end thereof with transverse ribs 40 and 42 which are arranged to engage with corresponding transversely extending arcuate depressions 44 formed in the inner face of the top panel 38, thus providing four detent positions of the slide block 22 which of underlying switch contacts arranged correspond to the four positions of the slide switch contact plate 3l) illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, 7 `and 8. The position of the switch slide block 22 and the switch contact plate 30 longitudinally in ythe casing 10 is determined by means of a manual controller 48 which is pivoted at 50 to an upwardly extending post 52 forming part of a bracket 54 secured to the top panel 38 of the housing 10. A downward extension 56 of the controller 48 engages in the recess 24 permitting the slide block 22 and contact plate 30 to be moved by said controller 48 to any one of the detent held positions of FIGS. 5, 6, 7 or 8.

The switch contact plate 30 illustrated in the drawings is so constructed and arranged as to ensure a solid electrical contact of the contact plate with each of the associated switch contact terminals 14, 16, 18 and 20 for each operating position of the switch through the entire operating llife of the switch. The switch contact plate 30 is made of a suitable material, -for example, beryllium copper, which is a good electrical conductor and is highly resilient and long wearing. To ensure a solid contact of the contact plate with the switch terminals for all positions of the slide switch assembly cuts are made in the switch contact plate 30 along lines which divide the plate roughly into thirds longitudinally, one cut starting from one end of the plate 30 and the other starting from -the other end of the plate, the cuts being of such length as to provide two switch arms 58 and 60 hinged -at opposite ends of the plate and extending along the two sides thereof in opposite directions. The switch terminals 14, 16, 18 and 20 are arranged in two parallel lines, two terminals in each line being engaged Iby the switch arm 58, the two terminals in the other line being engaged by the switch arm 60. It will be noted further that the switch terminals 16 and 20 underlying switch arm 58 are staggered with relation to terminals 14 and 18 underlying switch arm 60, so that the terminal 20 is the last to be closed by the movement of the switch contact plate to the right and the terminal 14 is the last to be closed by the switch arm `60 during the movement of the switch contact plate 30 to the left. The arrangement is such that the centrally located spring 36, pressing downwardly upon the central area of the contact plate, cooperates with the oppositely extending switch arms 58 and 60 to provide a very rm, even distribution of pressure over all of the engaged terminal contacts, those terminal contacts engaged against the heel portions of the respective switch arms S8 and 60 being pressed -by the central spring 36, while other terminal contacts are yieldably engaged `by the tip portions of said switch arms.

The invention having been described what is claimed is:

1. A slide switch having, in combination, a housing providing -a longitudinally extending guideway including a bottom wall, switch contact elements mounted in the bottom wall of said housing in two parallel series in a plane opposite to and parallel to said guideway, a slide block shiftable along said guideway, a switch contact plate interposed between said slide block and said series of electrical contact elements, means connecting the switch contact plate to move longitudinally with said block and for movement toward and away from said block, said switch c-ontact plate being comprised of resilient electrical conducting material, of generally rectangular shape with cuts formed therein along lines which divide the plate roughly into thirds, one said cut starting from one end, and the other cut starting from the other end of said contact plate and of such length to provide parallel switch arms hinged adjacent opposite ends of the plate and overlying respectively the Contact elements of the two series, and a 4biasing device interposed between said block and a central portion of said switch contact plate, thereby maintaining a solid contact between said biased switch contact plate and the switch contact elements of said series along one diagonal and a resilient contact between said spring arms of said biased switch contact plate and the switch contact elements of said series along the other diagonal of said switch Contact plate.

2. A slide switch according to claim 1 in which the slide block is formed at each end thereof with guide slots perpendicular to the plane of said contact elements, and said electrical switch plate is formed at each end thereof with upwardly bent tabs engaging in said slots, and a coiled expansion spring is interposed between a central portion of said switch contact plate and the adjacent side of said slide block.

3. A slide switch laccording to claim 1 in which said housing is of generally rectangular shape providing 1a rectangular guideway, and said lbottom Wall is composed of an electrically non-conducting material having mounted therein two series of electrical contact elements in staggered relation operable for diierent longitudinal positions of said switch block, to close circuits between 20 selected ones of said switch contact elements.

4. A slide switch according to claim 1 in which the back supporting face of said guide'way is formed with a series of transverse ribs, and said guide block is formed with mating transverse ridges adapted to be engaged with said transverse ribs by said biasing means to provide a series of step operating positions of said guide block and attached switch contact plate relative to said switchcontact elements.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,951,917 9/1960 Ellithorpe 200--16 3,030,459 4/1962 Euiott et ai 20o-16 X 3,188,697 6/1965 Schink 200-16 3,209,088 9/ 1965 Wanlass et al. 200-16 ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

J. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SLIDE SWITCH HAVING, IN COMBINATION, A HOUSING PROVIDING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING GUIDEWAY INCLUDING A BOTTOM WLL, SWITCH CONTACT ELEMENTS MOUNTED IN THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID HOUSING IN TWO PARALLEL SERIES IN A PLANE OPPOSITE TO AND PARALLEL TO SAID GUIDEWAY, A SLIDE BLOCK SHIFTABLE ALONG SAID GUIDEWAY, A SWITCH CONTACT PLATE INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SLIDE BLOCK AND SAID SERIES OF ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENTS, MEANS CONNECTING THE SWITCH CONTACT PLATE TO MOVE LONGITUDINALLY WITH SAID BLOCK AND FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID BLOCK, SAID SWITCH CONTACT PLATE BEING COMPRISED OF RESILIENT ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING MATERIAL, OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPE WITH CUTS FORMED THEREIN ALONG LINES WHICH DIVIDE THE PLATE ROUGHLY INTO THIRDS, ONE SAID CUT STARTING FROM ONE END, AND THE OTHER CUT STARTING FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID CONTACT PLATE AND OF SUCH LENGTH TO PROVIDE PARALLEL SWITCH ARMS HINGED ADJACENT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE PLATE AND OVERLYING RESPECTIVELY THE CONTACT ELEMENTS OF THE TWO SERIES, AND A BIASING DEVICE INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID BLOCK AND A CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID SWITCH CONTACT PLATE, THEREBY MAINTAINING A SOLID CONTACT BETWEEN SAID BIASED SWITCH CONTACT PLATE AND THE SWITCH CONTACT ELEMENTS OF SAID SERIES ALONG ONE DIAGONAL AND A RESILIENT CONTACT BETWEEN SAID SPRING ARMS OF SAID BIASED SWITCH CONTACT PLATE AND THE SWITCH CONTACT ELEMENTS OF SAID SERIES ALONG THE OTHER DIAGONAL OF SAID SWITCH CONTACT PLATE. 